Amie McGovern's Portfolio
Experimentation
Final Idea: London Zoo Animals let loose Whilst Humans In Lock Down
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Whilst humans have gone into lock down, The zoo have given the animals the day off. The film will be produced by multiple shorts of these animals being interviewed on how there spending there time off. For my final animation I will have a live action background with 3D creature animation.
Possible lines/ captions;
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good - Add torist hat.
yeah, Just getting out and about, seeing the sights.
"We're enjoying the pace and quiet"
Make them siblings, sound alike, finishing each others sentences.
"It wasn't me"
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make colour red- ive been caught red handed
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Its not what it looks like I promise.
I wanted to show a bit of creative blare.
Oh no im not Banksy I promis.
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Low voive, oh yeah plenty more fish for me. Its pretty tough out hear in the wild.
Im enjoying the more free range fish.
I wouldnt mind a tuna samwidge, no one eles about I can help myself.
A granny came down hear yesterday she thought I was a duck. Chucked a loaf of bread right on me head.
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Im less worried about being steped on.
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feeling good as shell.
link shell to home
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Im looking forward to the time out of the zoo, havnt got to the exit yet though, must be half way there at least I reckon.
"Been enjoying more walks in the park"
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Make him kind of aggressive.
I thought there would be free pickings when I came out hear.
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Hi my names jamaine my freind britt is hear behind me. just swimming around dont know if you could see him. Weve been enjoying it out heaar corel reef is looking nice.
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I've always wanted to see the gallery but was never let in before.
"We have reclaimed the roads"
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Back on the road again.
"Nice to have the beach all to ourselves"
Think I could try and make a quick buck wilst I was out of the zoo you know. Buy a few things for the little guy up hear.
"Zoo gave us the day off."
Turnes around "Alright Dave, how you doing bro"
Everything is closed there is nothing to do.
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Went all the way to thorp park its closed.
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"Enjoying more spa days"
"Ive mainly just been sat back relaxing. My roasy backside is pretty warm.
Rigs Research
Free, from turbosquid
Free, from turbosquid
$8.14, from turbosquid
Free, from turbosquid or https://www.cadnav.com/3d-models/model-45262.html
Free Truong Rig
Free CGSpectrum Rig
https://www.cgspectrum.com/resources/tiger-animation-rig
$15 Gorgeous George Rig
https://gumroad.com/l/GorgeousGeorge
Free Turbosquid Rig
Free Rig From CadNav.com
https://www.cadnav.com/3d-models/model-44973.html
Free Wilhelm the Giraffe
https://www.highend3d.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/wilhelm-the-giraffe-for-maya
Free Truong Rig
$13, from turbosquid
$10 Truong Rig
Free Rig From CadNav.com
https://www.cadnav.com/3d-models/model-22766.html
Free Rig From CadNav.com
https://www.cadnav.com/3d-models/model-48956.html
$0.85, from turbosquid
$20, from turbosquid
$19, from turbosquid
Free Rig From CadNav.com
https://www.cadnav.com/3d-models/model-41971.html
Free, from turbosquid
Photographing Possibly backgrounds
Rig Testing- Importing Maya rigs to Blender
Tutorial For bringing Maya animations into Blender; https://youtu.be/qirPNj8zUT8
I learned an effective way to import animations in Maya to blender using my elephant animation as a test. First was through setting the animation in Maya to be a set. Then doing a Alembic export. Next I imported the Alembic export into blender where the elephant animation worked perfectly.
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However the rig looses its textures meaning I have to reassign the retextures to the model.
Re Assigning Models Textures In Blender
I asked Oliver (the Blender artist whom is collaborating with me) to teach me how to re assign textures over a zoom call.
He taught me about the different texture files;
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NM - Normal Map (could be labelled as bump map). Adds Hight plus bumps onto textures.
SPec- Determines how much the texture reflects light.
TM - Colour (could also be called Defuse).
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-In the Shading viewport I selected the section I wished to texture.
- Then went to Material Properties.
-Rewnamed the section to fit with the body part. Then reassigned the textures accordingly.
Problems
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I had a few problems with mapping. The textures were not showing up properly due to them not being mapped properly.
To fix any mapping issues I;
Selected the area- Clicked Tab- Switched to Edit UV Map mode- Clicked A - Edit mode Uv editor- Press G to move the selected area and reposition it to fit the right place.
Node Editor
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In order to assign the NM map I had to use the node editor. Hear I learned to make new nodes so that I could reassign the NM map material accordingly.
First Of all I had to start by creating a Image Texture map where I chose the correct NM file I needed to assign.
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Next as The Normal node (the node representing NM) has a different colour node (purple) I could not attach it to the orange map used to assign the correct file therefore I had to create a new node named Normal Map to then connect that map to the Orange map connecting the two orange Colour nodes.
Before After
Adding The Model To The Background Image
Tutorial; https://youtu.be/tw7tqvQQCPE
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I followed the tutorial above to learn how to merge my rig with the background image.
For the real thing I will also add shadows and then pass on the file to Oliver who will add finishing touches e.g, water ripples, sky movement.
Rigs I Am Using
After testing out all of the rigs I found these ones are the free rigs that are most effective. As sadly a lot of the other free rigs did not work properly.
If I have time after doing the scenes for these animals I might buy another rig for example the fish rig to add another scene with.
I also plan on possible incorporating my dragon animation as one of the end scenes.
Gorilla Rig Environment Ideas
I quite like the idea of either having the gorilla in Alexandra Palace Park, running about possibly climbing trees.
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Having the Gorilla pacing impatiently in the tube station waiting for his train. To then eventually possibly pick up and read a news paper in a huff.
Giraffe Rig Environment Ideas (Will retake the image to make the animals the correct size)
I want to incorporate the animation I made of an elephant last term trying to pull out a bit of grub from the ground to eat.
I wish to have the Giraffe talking with a close up of his face and then in the background see the elephant eating some grass. I wasn't the giraffe to be a close up as it is quite a realistic looking rig so I need to really nail the facial animation.
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-Possible zoom in on elephant in the end as he puts food in his mouth and eats it.
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For this scene I will retake the image
Meerkat Rig Environment Ideas
I like the idea of having the Meerkats out and about sightseeing in Central London. I could potentially have them as a couple or best mates and use a similar idea I had with the parrots where they are talking over one another.
Or I could have one really confident one and one very shy one.
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Or I could have them looking for their friend Dave whom they have lost, in the big City. Potentially showing the friend hiding from them, excited to have finally gotten away from them after being stuck with them in the zoo. This Meerkat does not want to go back to the zoo and be stuck with them again.
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Ox Rig Environment Ideas
I like the Idea of the Ox rig being grumpy about how everything is shut, wilts roaming about Camden. Possibly talking about the places he wanted to visit.
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Could have a cat in the background looking at him funny.
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or
I could have him in a museum like my original idea e.g., The Tate Modern.
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Chameleon Rig Environment Ideas
Overall I really like the idea of the Chameleon walking across The side of London bridge.
Script Idea 1 - Using Creature Comforts Technique of Interviewing People
Ask People a number of questions about lock down and edit out parts of the audio that could relate to the animal.
Using this as the animals audio.
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Interview Questions; (The interviewer will not be herd)
-How excited are you to be out of lock down? What will you do?
-Any funny lock down stories?
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-What is it like being stuck with your housemates in lockdown?
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-What do you make of London/England during Lock down.
Script Idea 2 - Making Up A Script
Below are some possible script lines for the characters;
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Giraffe
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"There ain't no leaves. What am I supposed to eat?"
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Meerkat
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"Dave" "Dave" "Where are you mate?" (Looking for their friend)
Cut of Dave somewhere completely different.
Dave- "Please don't take me back there. I can not stand those two, they were driving me nuts"
"I'm finally free!"
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Ox
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"Everything is closed. I went to the Tate.. it was closed, Thorp park.. closed, Shops.. closed.. I mean what's the point in being out if you cant go shopping?"
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Chameleon
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"Its kind of ruff out hear in the wild" (Make him quite anxious)
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Gorilla
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"Just out and about seeing the sights. This Tube is taking forever." Be impatiently waiting for a tube. Possibly pic up and read a newspaper.
Script Idea 1 - Audio Clips From The Interviews
Kane Audio (Compressed file)
Sound Animatic By Kane
Kane put together the final recordings, creating music to go with it. He added his sound to some of my pictures and drawings to create this animatic. He also came up with the end scene lines which I really love.
Feedback
My teachers and classmates did not think the audio fit the characters very well and felt instead of using people I should make a script which progressing I will do.
My Ideas for new script
Script Redo; I decided to switch to using a script after the feed back from my first animatic. I am going to focus more on the animals and how these animals would react on a day out.
Chameleon
"Its kind of ruff out hear in the wild" (Make him quite anxious) - Chameleon changes colours so they blend into their background. Eyes dart around franticly.
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Giraffe;
Idea 1;
Cheeking themselves out in their reflection admiring it, possibly in one of the shiny skyscrapers, e.g., the shard. "Wow who are you, you gorgeous thing?" (Possible don't even need lines for this section the Giraffe could just be pulling funny faces at himself).
Idea 2;
Place the Giraffe in shot with the meerkats, so that you just see his legs, at the end of their lines you hear him say "Lovely view from up hear guys." They could possibly be looking out for the meerkats as personal look out.
Meerkat
Idea 1;
Have one nervous Meerkat with one very chilled out Meerkat. One Meerkat is very nervous with all of the sounds, very on edge.
Nervous Meerkat; "Did you hear that? Did you hear that?"
Chilled Meerkat; "Just relax bro, chill out, enjoy the sights"
Show Lion peeping out from around the corner.
Idea 2;
"Dave" "Dave" "Where are you mate?" (Looking for their friend)
Cut of Dave somewhere completely different.
Dave- "Please don't take me back to the zoo! I can not stand those two"
Idea 3;
Two mischievous meerkats catch them on camera as they are running away giggling from something, they stop as they see the camera and act very natural. "nothing to see hear" Run off.
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Ox
Idea 1;
Grumpy Ox trying to walk down a small Camden lane, struggling to squeeze down it says;
"Everything is closed. I went to the Tate.. it was closed, Thorp park.. closed, Shops.. closed.. I mean what's the point in having a day off if everything is closed?"
Idea 2; Ox
Looking in a house window "I'm just Trina see where all the humans have gone"
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Gorilla
"Just out and about seeing the sights. This Tube is taking forever." Be impatiently waiting for a tube. Picks his nose and eats it, funny Gorilla behaviour. Possibly pic up and read a newspaper.
Kane's Idea for new script
Kane the sound design student who is collaborating with me, sent me this script idea once he saw my original script ideas above. Overall I like his Ox and Meerkat idea.
Industry Talk- Piers Clifton
Piers Clifton suggested we make a mini beat sheet. This revolves around changing an expectation with each beat (story board frame). The task was to create a 6 beat story board witch includes a beginning, middle and end. I decided to take one of my characters (the gorilla) and create a possible scenario.
I chose to base my scene in the tube station as I had previously envisioned the Gorilla to be there.
Drawing 1 and 2 - Gorilla picking nose and eating it. (Close up)
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Drawing 3- Slight pan out Gorilla is sitting on the floor waiting for something.
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Drawing 4- Gorilla Pulls out a news paper titled Covid-19. On the back there is an article about how the zoo animals have been given some time off whilst humans are in lock down.
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Drawing 5- Wide shot of Gorilla waiting for a Tube whilst holding his news paper.
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Drawing 6- Close up shot of sign reading 'Cancelled'
Sketches from Reference Videos
Sketches from Cartoon Reference Videos
These are sketches I made of watching 3d animated cartoons with the same animals I am using in them.
For reference I watched;
Giraffe;
-Melvin from Madagascar
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Ox/bull
-Ferdinand (animation about bulls.
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Chameleon
- Pascal from Tangled
Gorilla
The Gorilla characters from the movie Sing.
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Finalising Script Ideas
Chameleon
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Slowly walk into shot "Its kind of ruff out hear in the wild" (Make them quite anxious, lots of eye movement) - Blend in with background image.
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Giraffe
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I would like to use this video as my Giraffe reference. I don't feel although The Giraffe needs audio. If I were to use this reference. As it looks although the Giraffe is just pulling funny faces at the camera.
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Ox
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very Grumpy "Don't like it, Not only is everything is closed, everything is so small and close together.. Its worse then the zoo. "
Shot of him trying to squeeze through a small alleyway.
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Place to squeeze through.
Meerkat
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Nervously Looking for their friend Dave, however you then see a cut away of a lion peering out, licking their lips.
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Looking nervously for their friend;
Slightly more brave Meerkat1 "Dave? Dave? Where are you Dave?
Nervous Meerkat2 ; "Did you hear that? Did you hear that?"
Slightly more brave Meerkat1 ; "Its ok, just relax"
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Show Lion peeping out from around the corner, liking their lips.
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Gorilla
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"Just out and about seeing the sights.... This Tube is taking forever." Be impatiently waiting for a tube. Picks his nose and eats it, funny Gorilla behaviour. Possibly pic up and read a newspaper.
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